Love Game
by Open Casket Ceremony
Summary: Matsumoto and Renji decide that Hitsugaya could do with some loving, so, unbeknownst to Hitsugaya they pay Ichigo to date him. Ichigo agrees for the sake of the money, but what happens when he finds himself honestly falling in love with the kid? IchiHitsu
1. Let the Games Begin

Author's Note: Before I posted the end to _Hanging on the Edge_, I decided to give you all the first chapter of my next big project. Hopefully I won't lose interest in the middle and cut it off like I have the bad habit of doing. Anyway, may I present to you the first chapter/prologue of _Love Game_, and look forward to me updating it in the very near future!

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**Love Game**

**by Open Casket Ceremony**

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It started out as a normal enough day. The products of the inner workings of the minds of two very bored individuals.

Back before the storyline you love and know. Back before Ichigo had even met Rukia.

Even back in that time, Soul Society already had a routine. The captains would go about their business everyday, getting new recruits in order, taking care of administrative work, training, organizing missions, so on and so forth.

For the tenth-division captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro, this cycle of routine applied strictly. He would rise at the break of dawn, sometimes skip breakfast, and instead opt to spend the morning training or communicating with Hyorinmaru. Then, he would attend the daily captains' meeting, get things running within the division, and in some occasions, he would have some spare time for himself.

Some captains went out for a stroll during their spare time. Others got together for a drink or some other recreational activity.

Hitsugaya, on the other hand, preferred to clean his office.

This chilly winter day was no exception.

Usually during this time of the year, Soul Society was in a particularly festive mood. The winter holidays had set in, with Christmas and New Year's clearly visible on the horizon. And so, the soul reapers had these few weeks off for the most part.

Matsumoto had gone out to a Christmas party, and she had pestered Hitsugaya to go with her. The young captain had refused, insisting he had better things to do. And that, as was usual of his free time, was cleaning out his office.

Hitsugaya was set on making his office spotless now. He was extremely OCD about this, and now was no exception. With a sigh, Hitsugaya knelt next to the desk, opening each drawer and removing unnecessary items to clear out clutter.

One would say that out of all the captains, Hitsugaya Toshiro was the one with the least things inside his desk. He felt no need for anything beyond spartan necessities, and the almost bare state of each desk drawer was a testament of his policy.

There was one thing, however, that Hitsugaya could not bear to discard, and that he had kept safely in his desk for many, many years.

Hitsugaya had a reputation for being cold-hearted, but everyone knew he was not emotionless.

And it was also a widely known fact that the child prodigy had even been in love once.

Years ago, when he was but a student at the soul reaper academy, Hitsugaya had found himself falling in love with a classmate who had unfortunately passed away since then, by the name of Kusaka Sojiro. The two were absolutely inseperable. Hitsugaya's fondest memories of his winter holidays in the academy was when he would return to the Rukongai to stay with his grandmother during the holiday break. Kusaka, however, had no family to return to, and thus stayed in the academy dormitories for the duration of the holidays. During these times, they would write letters to each other, and each letter Hitsugaya received from Kusaka during these times was more precious than any Christmas gift he could receive.

Since that time, Hitsugaya had kept every single letter, and now they were stored safely in a box tucked away in one of the many drawers of his beloved administrative desk.

As he re-sorted each drawer, Hitsugaya opened another, letting his eyes fall upon its contents. The box where he kept the letters.

With a nostalgic sigh, the snow-haired boy slowly pulled out the box, opening it, staring wordlessly at the countless letters inside. He reached inside, taking hold of one and looking longingly at it.

It had been so long since he had loved another person in the way he had loved Kusaka.

There was a pause before Hitsugaya glanced towards the office window. Through the frost-coated glass, he could see that outside, it was snowing. He smiled softly, deciding that since the weather was so nice - in his opinion - it wouldn't hurt to go outside for a while.

Wrapping a large scarf around his neck to ward off the chill, lest he catch a cold, Hitsugaya walked outside onto the office porch, the letter still in his hands, watching the snow fall quietly. As much as he refused to admit it, he liked the holidays. The lighter atmosphere, the weather, and the nostalgic air that seemed to come with it, bringing back fond memories of holiday seasons past.

He sat down, letting his legs hang over the end of the porch. Quietly, the child prodigy unfolded the letter, holding it in his hands as he inhaled deeply, reading the affectionate words it contained fondly.

_Toshiro -_

_I hope your holidays are going well so far. Most of the students have gone back to their homes for the holidays, like you have. I'm one of the only ones left in the dormitories, but don't worry. I don't feel lonely. The letters I get from you are almost as good as you being here with me yourself. If there is one good thing about the season, it's the snow. It's beautiful, and it reminds me of you. At this moment, I am eagerly anticipating the time when I can be at your side again. I miss you very much, but I am glad that you are doing well with your grandmother - please send her my regards. As I am writing this letter, there are many things on my mind. Are you happy, Toshiro? Are you enjoying yourself? I can wish for nothing more this holiday season than for you to be safe and happy. I will continue to wait for the time that we can be together again._

_- Yours truly, Kusaka Sojiro_

As he read the final lines of the letter, Hitsugaya couldn't help but read the words aloud to himself.

"Together again..."

He knew that this would not be possible. They would never be together again, that was inevitable due to the fact that Kusaka Sojiro had been dead for quite some time at this point.

Hitsugaya looked back up into the snowing sky, a soft sigh falling from his lips as he clutched the letter, his breath coming out in frosty clouds. He didn't know at the moment if he would ever meet someone like Kusaka again in terms of his own feelings. Matsumoto often insisted that he should find someone special again - it would be good for his heart. She herself had gotten quite cozy with the third-division captain, Ichimaru Gin, although Hitsugaya didn't particularly care for him himself.

"Hitsugaya-kun."

Startled by someone addressing him so suddenly, Hitsugaya hastily folded the letter back up, turning to look at who could possibly want to talk to him at a time like this.

"Aizen?"

The spectacled, brown-haired fifth-division captain nodded in greeting, a warm smile on his lips. "Good afternoon, Hitsugaya-kun. I was just passing by when I saw you sitting here by yourself. Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Not at all," Hitsugaya answered, scooting slightly to the side to allow his senior to have a seat. Out of all the other captains, Aizen seemed to be one of the few who did not treat him with utter disdain because of his age. In fact, Hitsugaya considered Aizen to be almost like a father figure to him, and he knew why Hinamori had been so intent on becoming his fukutaichou. The man had charisma, charm, and a certain kind of warmth.

"Are you enjoying your holidays?" Aizen asked as he seated himself next to the prodigy.

"I suppose," the younger captain mused. He had been intending to, as usual, return to the Rukongai to spend the holidays with his grandmother, but his plans had been foiled by a massive load of paperwork that Matsumoto had neglected. "I haven't been doing much. Just some paperwork."

"Diligent as always, are we?" the older man responded, chuckling good-naturedly as he placed a hand on the prodigy's shoulder, "You are quite the hard worker. One day, undoubtedly, you will make an ideal spouse."

Hitsugaya didn't know why, but he suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable after hearing this words. He said nothing in response, merely glancing warily at the large hand that was resting firmly on his shoulder. "Is...Is that so?" he managed to reply half-heartedly.

"Certainly," Aizen answered, a smile on his lips now, "You have grown since your academy days, Hitsugaya-kun. I remember seeing you one time during an inspection. You've grown even more lovely since then. When you're a little older, I'm sure that you will have many suitors." The hand on the boy's shoulder tightened its grip slightly. "...Perhaps including even myself."

Now Hitsugaya could feel his heart beating a little faster, but not in a good way. An embarrassed blush sprang to his cheeks as he carefully pushed the man's hand off of his shoulder, looking away. No one had ever spoken to him so shamelessly before, not even Kusaka. This wasn't the same kind of feeling. Kusaka didn't mind telling Hitsugaya he found him to be very pretty, but this felt different. With Kusaka, he had felt a certain kind of affectionate warmth. But here, he only felt discomfort. He was still young, and Aizen was much older than him, and he didn't know why the fifth-division captain would want to discuss something like this with him now of all times. He had never brought up any such topic before, and this was so sudden and strange that Hitsugaya wanted badly to get far, far away from him. He scooted slightly further away.

"Don't be shy, Hitsugaya-kun," Aizen chuckled, "Trust me, I am not the only man in Soul Society who thinks this of you. Do you really think that so many others have not noticed how beautiful you are becoming?"

"I-I'm sorry, Aizen...I have to get going. I...I have other important things to attend to," Hitsugaya stammered, getting up quickly. He was confused, bewildered, and even a little...scared? He didn't know what it was Aizen wanted with him right now or where this conversation was going, but he knew that he wanted to get out of there, fast.

The young prodigy hurried away, Aizen watching him leave with amused interest.

He was not the only one watching, however.

From a rooftop, safely out of view from Aizen and Hitsugaya, crouched Matsumoto and Renji, who had both been watching the conversation between Aizen and Hitsugaya with much amusement.

"Geez, I didn't think Aizen-taichou would ever say something like that to my taichou," Matsumoto mused in a sing-song voice.

"Me neither," Renji agreed, "But you know, Rangiku-san, Aizen's right. Hitsugaya-taichou _is_ growing up to be a pretty little kid."

"Pervert," Matsumoto accused, "And you make no sense, Renji, how the heck can he grow into a 'little kid' like you said? Wouldn't that technically make him, like, not growing at all?"

"That's not the point!" Renji snapped, "In any case, though...Hitsugaya-taichou needs to get laid."

"Big time," the large breasted tenth-division fukutaichou agreed, "But with who?"

This was a question that went unanswered for the two plotting vice-captain's for quite some time.

However, months later, an incident occurred in which a flaming orange-haired ryoka boy and several others broke into the Seireitei, triggering mass panic throughout the soul reapers. Eventually, the incident died down and they came to know this boy as Kurosaki Ichigo, a subsitute shinigami for Soul Society. But they figured, if anyone was reckless enough to break into the Seireitei, then surely, they'd be reckless enough to try out a fling with the cold-hearted tenth-division captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro.

Matsumoto and Renji exchanged knowing looks.

"Kurosaki Ichigo...he's our man."


	2. Money Makes the World Go Round

Author's Note: Well, you're in for a special treat today because I decided to get the ball rolling a little earlier and do the second chapter of this fic first. I guess I'm still trying to stall the end of _Hanging on the Edge_ just a little bit longer, just to keep you readers on _the edge_ of your seats. Haha. I'm so funny. Anyway, here you go, here's Chapter 2. Read and review. You know the drill, don't you? And thanks to everyone who's actually doing it. (:

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"Hey, Ichigo."

"What?"

It was a rare occasion that Ichigo would go back to Soul Society, but he did anyway every now and then to see how things were going. After all, he was a soul reaper, too, and if doing his job well meant visiting the higher-up's once in a while, then so be it. Not that he minded anyway, he had plenty of friends in Soul Society who were more than happy to welcome him back.

And for some reason, today, in the tenth division's office, Matsumoto and Renji seemed more eager than usual.

"Hey, Ichigo-kun," the buxom fukutaichou sing-songed, her strawberry-blonde hair bouncing along with her breasts as she put both hands on Ichigo's shoulders. She was a little too close for comfort, Ichigo thought, but this didn't stop her from continuing on. "You have a girlfriend right now? Or a boyfriend? Or something like that?"

"Um, no?" the subsitute shinigami answered, confused. Renji was grinning wolfishly at him, and he, too, placed his hands on the strawberry's shoulders along with Matsumoto. What the hell was going on with these two? Whatever it was, it was freaking Ichigo out and he had the notion that they were up to no good, and he should run away, fast.

"Great," Renji beamed, "You see, Ichigo, you look like a good, strong person to us."

Uh-oh. Were they about to ask him to join them in a threesome? This was not looking good.

"What do you want?" he demanded crossly, trying in vain to walk away, but to his dismay, Renji and Matsumoto proceeded to shove him down into a sitting position on the couch, standing over him and dashing any hopes of a daring escape.

"We want you to go out with taichou," Matsumoto beamed, as if this was no big deal at all.

"Who?" the strawberry asked, blinking stupidly.

"Hitsugaya-taichou," Renji clarified, "You've seen him, haven't you? Short, pretty little white-haired kid. The two of you would definetely make an attractive couple."

_"What!?"_ Ichigo spluttered, horrified. "You want _me_ to go out with that brat? I barely even know him! And why would I want to anyway!? It's not like we're even friends or anything, wouldn't this be so sudden? And besides, he's...he's..."

"Think of it this way," Matsumoto cut him off sweetly, "It'll be like a challenge. A game."

"Why the hell would I want to play a game like that!? Stop acting like this is no big deal!"

"It's not," Renji insisted, "It'll be fun. Just a casual fling. Hitsugaya-taichou is a lonely kid, and don't you think you could be a good person and give him some loving? Or are you really going to let him go on being miserable and all alone with no one to love him, no one to warm his bed at night..."

"And he's been more depressed since that whole Aizen deal-"

"Although Aizen did have the hots for him-"

"And anyway, it'll be simple."

"Shut up!" Ichigo retorted, "This kind of thing needs commitment, right? I don't even like the kid. How could you expect me to date him!?"

The smile on Matsumoto's face seemed to widen. "You just have to make him _think _you like him...Well, if you don't want to do it, then it's fine." She and Renji exchanged mischevious looks before she went on. "You see, Renji and I have been saving up our paychecks over the months, and we really want the best for taichou. Together, we have around...oh, let's say 100,000 yen. That's a lot of money. And if you go through with this...it just might become yours, you know?"

"Hold on a second." The orange-haired teen held up a hand. "Are you trying to _bribe_ me into asking him out with money?"

"Maybe," Renji answered cheerfully, "Think of everything you could buy with 100,000 yen. But like Rangiku-san said, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. Hitsugaya-taichou is pretty, so we can invest our _excessive _amount of money in someone else more willing." He paused for dramatic emphasis.

100,000. That _was_ a lot. Ichigo was thinking now. He could buy a lot of things with that. He could save it up, add it to his college fund...buy some things he'd always wanted...And with the recession going on nowadays, money was always tight...

"Well? This is a limited edition offer, so we can't wait forever for you to make up your mind..."

"Fine," Ichigo snapped angrily, "Fine, I'll do it. Only because I need the money, though. And I want the cash up-front."

"We'll give it to you, in good time," Renji insisted. "The first 20,000 if you manage to ask him out and get him to accept, and another 20,000 for every date you take him on."

"And maybe we'll throw in a bonus if you sleep with him," Matsumoto mused, and Ichigo almost shit himself at the thought.

"And anyway," the large-breasted woman added causually, "Taichou will be back from the captains' meeting _really_ soon, so shall we get started?"

As if right on cue, the office door opened. In stepped Hitsugaya Toshiro, looking to be in a very sour mood.

Oh, boy. Just what had he gotten himself into.

"Go for it!" Matsumoto hissed, giving Ichigo a sharp jab in the ribs, followed by Renji's encouraging - and a little painful - pat on the back, before the two fukutaichou's scurried away, giggling madly as if this whole thing was just some kind of sick joke to make the strawberry suffer with.

As the door closed as Renji and Matsumoto left, Ichigo found himself very alone in the office with a very unhappy looking Hitsugaya.

"Um. Hi."

Hitsugaya folded his arms over his chest, but remained quiet, as if he was unsure of what to make with the strange situation of being alone in his office with an unfamiliar man. Ichigo swallowed. Was it just him, or was the office getting a little colder by the second?

"I'm Ichigo," the strawberry offered in what he hoped was a confident voice, "Kurosaki Ichigo."

Hitsugaya promptly lowered his gaze modestly to the floor, as was expected in the Gotei 13 of one in the presence of an older man. It was a rather endearing action, Ichigo thought, and kind of cute. If the kid was going to act so submissively polite to him, then maybe this would be a piece of cake. He'd be 100,000 yen richer in no time.

"Hitsugaya Toshiro," the petite captain mumbled, returning the favor by giving his own name, "But I'm sure even a subsitute shinigami like you knows that," he added, his tone suddenly filled with some maddening kind of frosty contempt.

Any notion of the tenth-division captain being "cute" flew out the window for Ichigo at that moment. So he really was just a cocky brat after all.

"You know, you can be a little nicer," Ichigo scowled. He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "After all, I _did_ come all the way here just to talk to _you_."

"Is that so?" Hitsugaya asked, now sounding curious. "And why is that, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo had to admit, at least Renji had been right. Hitsugaya _was_ rather pretty, with large eyes like frozen emeralds, fringed heavily with dark, long lashes, and a childlike face that held such sweet-looking innocence but yet some strange, regal air. He had a dainty, small and lithe frame, with an umarred complexion like expensive porcelain. But beyond the pretty face, the strawberry was sure that there was little more than arrogance, and he immediately decided that he didn't think much of this little brat at all. But 100,00 yen was 100,000 yen, and he knew that if he failed, that money could go to someone else. And no way in hell was he going to let that happen.

He took a step closer to Hitsugaya, and looking confused, the boy took a step back in turn.

"I'm sure you've heard this before," Ichigo spoke smoothly, opting for a more kiss-ass approach, "But you know, Toshiro...you're very pretty."

"I-It's _Hitsugaya-taichou_ to you," Hitsugaya managed to stammer out, and his eyes were darting back in forth, which Ichigo presumed with disgust, was an effort to find the nearest exit. He wasn't going to let the kid leave now. 100,000 yen was on the line, for crying out loud. He grabbed Hitsugaya by the wrist, and the boy seemed startled by this. Hell, the kid was so naiive and innocent it was funny. You'd think he'd never been hit on before.

"Don't be shy," Ichigo answered, more insistently, "I'm not the only guy in Soul Society who thinks this."

Hitsugaya blinked, his eyes widening the slightest. Why did this sound so familiar? Why did this utter discomfort feel so familiar?

Ichigo grinned at him.

Hitsugaya panicked.

"P-Pervert!" the bewildered prodigy cried, slapping Ichigo across the face with all his strength, wrenching his hand free from the strawberry's iron grip. Ichigo let out an unrestrained howl of pain from the strength of the blow. For someone so small, that kid could hit _hard._

Obviously beyond freaked out at this point, the prodigy hurried for the exit.

"Don't ever come near me again, Kurosaki Ichigo!"

The office door slammed shut as Hitsugaya made his hasty escape, leaving Ichigo alone, a hand clutching his burning cheek sullenly.

So much for that.

But Ichigo was a fighter, and he had never been one to give up easily at all. Especially since 100,000 yen was just dangling within reach. Sure, the kid was pretty, but the generous sum of money was _prettier_, and he'd be damned if he didn't get his hands on that soon.

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Author's Note: Looks like Ichigo has a lot of work in store for him, huh? And by the way, 100,000 yen is worth approximately 1,000 USD.


	3. Butterflies

Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated for _Hanging on the Edge _yet, but I'm still working on the last chapter to perfect its ending! Because I didn't want to keep you all waiting, I decided to just finish Chapter 3 to this one first for you all so you wouldn't think I died off somewhere. As you all may now, I started school again. This, however, will hopefully not affect the speed of my updates much because I usually do finish my homework with a couple hours to spare. So we'll just go with the flow for that, I guess. Sorry!

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"So, what'd he say?"

"How'd it go?"

No sooner had Ichigo sullenly come to Renji and Matsumoto to inform them of his initial failure, he was instantly hounded with unwanted questions. The two were now staring expectantly at him, and unsure of what to do, the strawberry merely shrugged.

"Could have been better, I guess," he mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Matsumoto demanded, her hands on her hips as she pursed her lips, obviously not happy. "Whaddya mean, 'could have been better'? You mean taichou freaked out, didn't he?"

"Yeah," Ichigo answered sheepishly, "I guess I was a little too forward with him."

Renji sighed, shaking his ponytailed head. "You don't get it, do you? Where's your sense of chivalry?"

"Chivalry?" Ichigo blinked stupidly.

"Of course!" Matsumoto chimed in, her face bright with glee again. "A long time ago, taichou used to be seeing this guy named Kusaka Sojiro. Great guy and all, but he's been dead for a while. Basically, just try to be like Sojiro-san was! I'm sure taichou'll fall head over heels for you in no time!"

"Yeah!" Renji agreed vigorously, "You know, all the good stuff. Offer to carry his things for him. Walk him to his captains' meetings. Hold his hand. Tell him he's the best person in the entire world when he's feeling down. Kiss him goodnight. Be sensitive, be warm, be considerate."

"Huh," the strawberry mused for a moment, "So be nicer, and don't push too hard. I guess I could give that a try."

"Well, what're you waiting for! Go get him!"

* * *

Hitsugaya, at the moment, was only just beginning to calm down.

His encounter with Ichigo had frightened him so much that after making his hasty escape from the office, he had used shunpo to flee all the way to the thirteenth division grounds. Thinking that Ukitake might harass him with more unwanted candy, he had sullenly turned tail and begun his trip back to his own office.

Somehow, Ichigo's so forward confrontation of him had given him an unpleasant memory of the conversation he had held with Aizen quite a while ago. In fact, come to think of it, lots of people were acting funny around him nowadays! It was seriously starting to scare him. Hitsugaya prided himself for going about his day with cold, quiet dignity. He was a get-it-done-now kind of person, but for some reason, it was getting harder and harder to maintain this, especially in times like these.

For one thing, he felt as if more people were making the effort to speak to him. At captain's meetings, he found himself being addressed more pleasantly by the other male captains, and he didn't know why. Even his own subordinates, at times, would whisper and stare, and even members from other divisions he didn't even know could be occasionally found gawking at him as if he was an all-you-can-eat buffet.

If Kusaka was alive, he would never let this happen! He would make those creeps stop staring and make them leave him alone.

And now Ichigo.

When he had first seen the substitute shinigami in his office, a swarm of butterflies had instantly arisen in his stomach. The butterflies had dissolved and were replaced with pure nausea, however, when he had noticed the almost predatory way the much taller soul reaper had been watching him with.

Hitsugaya shook his head furiously to clear the thoughts from his mind. No way was he going to be distracted with something like this. Not with three captains missing and Arrancar numbers growing by the week.

It was winter again now, and he wished sorely that he could be as carefree as he had been before.

Things had been so much simpler before Aizen had given him the notion that he fancied him. Since that day, everything had just gone downhill.

Maybe it was the fact that Hitsugaya was hitting puberty (but unfortunately not growing much taller). Or maybe it was "mating season" for some - although for most males, "mating season" lasts year-round. We call those kinds of people the kinds that think with their dicks.

Whatever the deal was - it certainly seemed like many more people than before were suddenly noticing that Hitsugaya Toshiro did indeed have a pretty face.

The prodigy shuddered.

Why was he thinking about these kinds of things? They hadn't plagued his mind for the longest of times, since Kusaka had passed away. But hormones - not only his own, but those of many others - were back to bite him in the ass - no kinky pun intended - and it freaked him out to no end.

"Toshiro!"

Hitsugaya froze on the spot as he heard a dreadfully familiar voice calling out to him.

He knew that voice, for he had heard it but an hour or so ago. And anyway, only one person alive in the Seireitei dared address the pint-sized captain by his given name, as opposed to his family name and title.

Forcing a poker face over his confused and worried expression, with a sigh, the prodigy turned to meet certain doom.

"What do you want, Kurosaki?"

"Hey," Ichigo muttered, a little embarassed as he approached Hitsugaya. "Um, sorry about that."

"About what?"

"You know, about back there," Ichigo answered quickly, gesturing vaguely in what he thought to be the general direction of Hitsugaya's office. "Look, uh, Toshiro, I don't know what got into me over there, but trust me, that's not really what I'm like. I'm really sorry if I scared you or anything."

"You're forgiven," Hitsugaya muttered, his eyes glued to the floor as if there was something very interesting there.

"Good," Ichigo grinned. There was a pause before he quickly added, "I mean, that you're gonna forgive me and stuff."

Hitsugaya didn't answer, merely fidgeted uncomfortably. He didn't dare look at Ichigo in the face; it would be too awkward and humiliating.

"So, we're cool then?"

"Sure," the white-haired genius mumbled almost inaudibly as he fiddled awkwardly with the sleeve of his kimono, rocking backwards slightly on his feet. It was quite uncharacteristic that he would act like this, so immaturely, but it was once in a blue moon that he'd be put in a situation like this in the first place.

The substitute shinigami frowned.

"You seem kind of down, Toshiro. Something bothering you?"

Hitsugaya looked up, his mouth opening and closing stupidly. _Damn, _Ichigo was freaking psychic or something.

"Um...I..."

Mentally, the prodigy gave himself a hefty slap. Since when was he one to become so tongue-tied?

"Something the matter?" Ichigo looked concerned for a moment, an eyebrow raised. He had to have practiced that in the mirror before, Hitsugaya noted dully, there was no way someone could arch their brow so perfectly without practice. "You're not choking, are you?"

"N-No," the petite captain stammered, hurriedly averting his gaze again. "It's...It's just that...I've had a lot to...to think about lately." He mentally hit himself again. Gods, did he sound like an idiot, stammering and spluttering like he had some kind of speech impediment.

"Well anyway," Ichigo continued smoothly, "I think I'd like to get to know you better."

"What?"

Hitsugaya blinked. Why would that be any of the orange-haired teen's concern?

The strawberry grinned at him again, and Hitsugaya coughed uncomfortably. The butterflies in his stomach were back.

"You okay? You look sick."

"No, I-I'm fine," Hitsugaya managed to squeak. He pretended to cough, quite pathetically, he noted. "Um, just a little cold. Nothing serious. I'll be better soon, you'll see." There was a pause before he added, "It's fine, really," after seeing the skeptical expression on Ichigo's face.

A strawberry-blonde eyebrow arched heavenward again, and Hitsugaya's gaze moved quickly back to his feet.

"That's good," Ichigo answered, "So then you wouldn't mind coming down to the real world and having dinner with me then..." He paused. "_Right?_" he added, a little more forcefully than he had meant.

A pretty pink blush instantly sprang to the flustered prodigy's face. "Wh-What? You want me...to..."

"Yeah, yeah, it'll be fun," the strawberry insisted. "C'mon. Let's do it."

There was a long pause before Hitsugaya finally nodded. "Alright," he squeaked out, seeming somewhat surprised by this offer from Ichigo. "Um...alright, I'll go with you. I mean...it can't hurt, right?" He wanted to kick himself. He prided himself in always being collected, always being prim and proper. So why was his carefully crafted exterior falling into shambles after just a few minutes of conversation with Kurosaki Ichigo? He was a blushing, nervous wreck.

Ichigo grinned again. "Great," he beamed, "Tomorrow, then? You can come through a gate, right?" When Hitsugaya nodded meekly, Ichigo went on. "So good, then. You know where my house is, you've been there before. So just go ahead and meet me there."

"A-Alright."

Ichigo seemed genuinely pleased at this.

"Um...want me to walk you back to your office, Toshiro?"

"You don't have to..."

"Nah, I've got time to kill, I don't mind."

And so the pair set off, Ichigo grinning away madly and Hitsugaya wondering just _why_ the butterflies in his stomach wouldn't go away.

"_Score_," the strawberry muttered to himself, "100,000 yen, here I come."

"Did you say something, Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya inquired, "I...I didn't catch that."

"Oh," Ichigo answered nonchalantly, "Nah. Don't you worry your pretty little self, Toshiro. I didn't say anything at all."


	4. Miscommunication

Author's Note: I'm sorry I've been so inactive for the past few weeks. School is _really_ killing me right now, and I know I said that I would have time to update even so, I'm not sure if I can totally uphold that promise anymore! I'll do my best, though, although the wait may be a bit longer from now on for new chapters or one-shots. Ah, yes, and I bet you're still wondering about _Hanging on the Edge_. The last chapter is _almost_ complete! I'll post it soon, I swear. For nows, to satisfy you and to fill up some time, since I haven't updated in such a long time, here's the next chapter of _Love Game_. I'm sorry though, this chapter is really boring...The rating also may change...so be aware of that. Oh, and Kusaka _finally_ got added to the FF character listings...yay. Oh, and yeah I'm sorry Ichigo is such an asshole here...don't worry, it'll get better quickly! And by the looks of it, this fic will only be ten chapters long.

* * *

Hitsugaya didn't know what he was doing, standing awkwardly at Ichigo's doorstep.

A few hours ago, he had been more than positive he had made a terrible mistake when he had accepted the strawberry's invitation, and thus, he had made up his mind to just sulk in his office for the rest of the day and pretend he had forgotten completely about the arrangement. Matsumoto, however, would hear none of it, and had practically chased the bewildered captain out of his office and to the real world, which would explain his current situation.

And so here he was, panicking, not knowing what to do, and cursing the butterflies that had once again risen up in his stomach.

Cautiously, the prodigy raised a fist to knock on the door, holding his breath.

Before his hand could even make contact with the wood, the door flew open as if on its own accord. Hitsugaya, slightly startled, stepped abruptly back, as the door moved open to reveal Ichigo's scowling face. The strawberry ran a contemptuous, impatient eye over Hitsugaya, and this was rather unnerving. Wasn't it usually Hitsugaya would be giving such glares, and Ichigo being the awkward one? So why this reversal in role? It was simply maddening.

"Why aren't you in your gigai?" Ichigo demanded suddenly, his arms folded crossly over his chest.

Hitsugaya stared at him for a moment.

"I...I wasn't aware that you wanted me to-"

"Alright, alright," Ichigo cut him off, holding up a hand. "I get it. Just hurry up, will you? I'm sick of waiting."

Hitsugaya had to admit he was taken aback by the subsitute shinigami's rude behavior. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out as he clenched his dainty fists, biting down on his lip and wondering why the hell he was letting him get away with this.

"You know what, Kurosaki?" Hitsugaya snapped sharply, coming back to his senses. "You're the one who invited me here, and if you're going to be so insufferable, then I guess there's no reason for me to stay." Hell yeah! The butterflies were gone now, and he could feel his usual prideful self returning.

With a haughty scoff, Hitsugaya turned away, ready to march his petite rear back to Soul Society.

"W-Wait!" Ichigo yelped frantically, leaping forward and grabbing the small captain by the wrist, stopping him. "I...I'm sorry, okay?" He was practically pleading now. "Please don't go."

Hitsugaya surveyed the strawberry coldly. He was normally good at reading people's thoughts and emotions relatively quickly, but he had to admit, Ichigo was a tricky one. Some strange gut instinct or intuition of his told him that he should just leave; Ichigo didn't _really_ want him here. After all, the invitation had been so sudden, there was no way to be sure if he didn't have some kind of alterior motive here.

"And why should I?" the prodigy ventured.

"Because..." Ichigo seemed stumped for a moment before his eyes lit up, "Because I've been looking forward to this for a long time, and if you leave...then of course I won't have much to look forward to, will I?"

"So why exactly have you been looking forward to this?"

"Er..."

Just like Hitsugaya, Ichigo was having his own thoughts now, racing through his mind like mice in a maze.

Hitsugaya's skeptical look made it seem to Ichigo almost as if he had caught on and realized that there was a catch to this whole mess. Ichigo couldn't let him think that. That would surely ruin his chances of getting that money, and he had already come so far. He wasn't giving up now.

The captain raised an eyebrow, and Ichigo cleared his throat.

"Because," the strawberry announced confidently, straightening up, "Because I _like_ you."

There was an awkward pause as Hitsugaya blinked, staring wide-eyed up at him. Ichigo didn't know what to make of it. He felt like a complete douchebag, saying something so important in such a frivolous, dishonest, and careless way. A confession of affection was meant to be something special. Something real. Not a shallow lie. He swallowed his guilt, trying to replace it with the image of 100,000 yen...

Hitsugaya was quiet, and his gaze moved back to the floor. He appeared somewhat dazed, in fact. Ichigo didn't know what the boy was thinking, but he knew he'd just made a big mistake. In this game he had gotten himself entangled in, Hitsugaya was only a pawn, and he hated himself for using him like that.

_"100,000 yen," _he told himself fiercely, _"A lot of money..."_

It was quiet.

"So, um," Ichigo began, the confidence that had welled up in his chest ebbing away quickly now, leaving an awkward and empty gap, "So...wanna get going?"

"But...you said...my gigai..."

The orange-haired teen mentally smacked himself. Hitsugaya was stuttering. He was blushing. He was...nervous. And he didn't know Ichigo's real reason for inviting him out for dinner.

He shook his head furiously. He wouldn't let these thoughts distract him from his goal. 100,000 yen was 100,000 yen, and he promised himself that he'd tell Hitsugaya the truth as soon as he got the money, no matter how painful it might be. He knew Hitsugaya's heart had been broken before when Kusaka had died, and he didn't want to be the on responsible for a second time. Ichigo hated lying to people, and now was probably one of the worst moments.

* * *

Dinner went by uneventfully.

Hitsugaya had been completely silent the whole time, and Ichigo's attempts to start conversation had been of little use. He had to admit though, he had been selfish with this, too. It had been mostly to get rid of his own uneasiness, as he found it harder and harder to swallow each bite.

The petite prodigy had merely poked around with his food, glancing up every now and then, but quickly looking away each time.

Ichigo coughed nervously, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"So, Toshiro," he began, somewhat awkwardly as he jabbed at his food, "What've you been up to lately? I mean, you always seem pretty busy...anything new and exciting? 'Cause since you're a captain and all, there has to be _something_ new going on in Soul Society that you know about, right?"

"Quite ordinary, actually," Hitsugaya answered, quite curtly.

It semed like he didn't want to hold any conversation. And it wasn't like Ichigo blamed him either.

"Oh," was all the strawberry could think of to say in response. With another awkward chuckle, he pushed his plate aside. "I see you're pretty much finished?" he asked lamely, which was a stupid question to say because Hitsugaya had barely taken a bite at all.

Hitsugaya looked at him blankly.

"Oh, well it's okay," Ichigo added hastily, "If you're not eating because you think you'll get fat, you shouldn't worry about it." He was painfully aware of the fact that these words were not of caring, and more of his own attempt to fill up the silence with meaningless babble, "Because you're not fat. You're really not."

The blank stare remained.

"Uh...well, I'll pay the bill then," he muttered, reaching into his pocket for his wallet.

As they left the restaurant, Ichigo walking towards his house, Hitsugaya following quietly, the strawberry decided he couldn't bear the silence anymore.

"Why aren't you talking?" he asked, his voice coming out a little sharper than he had intended it to. "You know, I feel like I'm just taking myself out to dinner, because you've barely said anything at all this whole time, and it's not fun for either of us this way, okay?"

"I'm sorry," Hitsugaya mumbled, "It's just that...I...I don't really know what to say."

"I dont' care what it is, just say _something!_" Ichigo answered loudly, and he was dismayed to see Hitsugaya falter.

"Kusaka was never like this to me," Hitsugaya muttered, a little coldly, his walking speed increasing suddenly. "He would never have tried to force me to talk if I didn't want to. He would understand."

Ichigo didn't know why, but this comment hurt. A lot. He stopped in his tracks, turning to face Hitsugaya, who had clapped his hand to his mouth, as if he had realized what he had just said and hadn't intended on letting such a statement slip out.

"Well, I'm not Kusaka!" he shouted, glaring angrily at Hitsugaya, whose eyes merely widened.

"Kurosaki...I..."

"Forget it," Ichigo snarled. He knew Hitsugaya hadn't meant to say that, but his temper got the better of him. "Maybe I can't meet your standards after all. You think just because you're pretty, people will just be willing to bend over backwards to satisfy you, am I right!? Stop acting like a spoiled brat!"

He was surprised at how quickly the situation had managed to swell into an arguement. 100,000 yen or not, he was not going to put up with this.

"I'm sorry, I...I didn't mean to...Kurosaki, I-I..." Hitsugaya stammered, and Ichigo noted, with another pang of guilt, that he was in no position to be expecting anything from Hitsugaya at this point. The boy was just as confused as he was. And he didn't even know the truth.

"Toshiro..."

Hitsugaya looked down at the floor, his voice quiet again. "I apologize. It won't happen again."

Ichigo's gaze softened, and slowly, he reached out to put a hand on Hitsugaya's shoulder.

"Don't apologize to me, Toshiro."


	5. Low Point

Author's Note: Oh, I just _hate_ myself for this chapter...you'll see why when you read it. I don't think I pulled it off very well or put it in at a very good time...but what's done is done, and hey, everyone makes mistakes. Oh, right. Lemon warning ahead. And crappy lemon at that, I'm terrible at writing lemon scenes as I'm sure most of you have seen before. Again, I'm really sorry about this, but I can't think of any other way to get the story moving if I want to finish it within ten chapters.

* * *

After the rather awkward conclusion to their brief argument, Ichigo had somehow managed to coax the stuttering Hitsugaya into his house and into his bedroom, hoping to calm the poor boy down. So here they were, Hitsugaya, out of his gigai and back in his captain's uniform, sitting quietly on Ichigo's bed, waiting for the butterflies to leave again, and Ichigo watching him, a little embarrassed and unsure of what to do.

Hitsugaya looked up for a moment, catching Ichigo's eye. Blushing furiously, the captain quickly turned away.

Ichigo watched him for a moment longer, his heart softening by the second. Hitsugaya had no idea what was going on, and Ichigo knew the reason why he was here in the first place wasn't exactly an ethical one. But yet, here they were, and Ichigo began to notice certain things.

For one, Hitsugaya Toshiro was very pretty. That was an undeniable fact, and Ichigo had taken notice of it long ago, even if he had decided to invite him out for the sake of money.

And two, he was just so innocent.

Hitsugaya might like to think that he was no longer a child, but the way in which he blushed, stammered, and averted his gaze was so sweetly innocent and endearing that Ichigo knew it was wrong to do this to him. He was mature for his age, yes, but was in no way the same emotionally.

Despite his motives, and despite their unpleasant exchanges in words - or lack thereof - Ichigo knew that underneath it all, he didn't mind Hitsugaya all that much. The kid was cute, and and although cold, had a certain kind of charm to him. Had there not been money involved here, the strawberry had the feeling that he would feel so much more differently towards Hitsugaya - maybe they could have been friends, or eventually, perhaps even more...but reality was painfully real, and all Hitsugaya was to Ichigo at the moment was a quick way to earn some extra cash. If the situation was different, then Ichigo swore he would find himself falling in love with...

No. He couldn't be thinking these kinds of thoughts.

But at any rate, Ichigo knew he couldn't do this anymore. He couldn't bear to keep looking at that blushing face, knowing fully that there was no meaning to his words when he had told the boy that he had been fond of him. He had to tell him the truth, and money be damned. It'd be just like tearing off a band-aid.

"Toshiro..."

Hitsugaya looked up timidly, and Ichigo noted, with guilt stabbing him in the head, that he really was still a kid. And an awfully cute kid at that.

"Yes, Kurosaki?"

"There's...uh, well, there's something I gotta tell you. It's not something I'm really proud of, but..."

There was a sudden, incessant beeping, and Ichigo's hand jumped to his back pocket as he fished in it, pulling out his cell phone. He stared at it for a moment before flipping it open, discovering that he had just received a text message.

"Uh, hold on a second," he muttered, opening the message. Jesus, perfect timing. Right when he had built up the resolve to tell Hitsugaya the painful truth, the noise of his cell phone beeping had completely ruined the moment. And since he probably wouldn't be able to gather the guts again anytime soon, he might as well read it.

_Hey Ichigo!  
It's Rangiku and Renji! We finally figured out this whole text-messaging thing...you humans come up with the weirdest, most pointless stuff...  
Anyway, we decided to step up our offer! We'll add another 100,000 if you and taichou screw...  
So we're looking at 200,000 yen for you now! Think about it, okay? Have fun and good luck!_

At this point, Ichigo was wondering if Matsumoto and Renji were just messing with him, or if they were serious. He was staring at the cell phone screen, mouth agape in mute shock. 200,00 yen. That was a whole lot of money, and he needed it badly. But to...to do something so dirty for it?

He glanced up at Hitsugaya, his grip on the phone tightening.

"Kurosaki...What were you going to say to me?"

Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment.

_200,000 yen. 200,000 yen. 200,00 yen. 200,000 yen. 200,000 yen._

He opened them, clenched his fists tightly, and looked at Hitsugaya. He cleared his throat, before speaking in the firmest voice he could bring himself to use. Strangely, he almost believed himself as he spoke, and he realized, he wanted that money a lot more than he thought he had originally.

"...It's not something I'm really proud of, but...I think we should...have sex."

Hitsugaya's eyes grew to the size of saucers and his face reddened almost instantly with a heated blush. Ichigo noted, rather dully, that this had probably been the first time someone had ever said something like that to him. Hell, he wasn't even completely sure if the kid knew what sex was all about, period.

"Wh-What?"

"You're stressed, I'm stressed," Ichigo continued as he slowly got up, crossing the room towards Hitsugaya, placing his hands on the startled prodigy's shoulders. "We can get rid of that stress this way. Yeah, it's kind of soon for that, but you know...We'll be helping each other out."

The strawberry wasn't sure when he had gotten so good at lying.

Without waiting for an answer, he grasped the white haori in his hands, slipping it off the boy's shoulders. Hitsugaya seemed to be frozen, his eyes wide and fixed rigidly on Ichigo's stony, almost emotionless face as the cloth fell aside, and Ichigo reached further down to work on removing the black robes.

"W-Wait! Kurosaki, what are you...!?"

Ichigo ignored him, pushing him backwards against the bed's mattress. Hitsugaya seemed absolutely terrified, and he tried to push Ichigo away, but the strawberry would have none of it as he fumbled with the smaller boy's shihakusho, pulling the kimono open.

"We can't do this!" Hitsugaya spluttered in protest, "I...I don't...Why here? Why now?"

"Oh, yes we can," Ichigo muttered, positioning himself over the boy as he reached for the obi that held his hakama in place, undoing it with a single tug, pushing the black fabric to the side. Alarmed, Hitsugaya opened his mouth to protest again, but was silenced by Ichigo pressing his lips against his own.

And at that moment, Ichigo knew he had Hitsugaya just where he wanted him to be. He knew Hitsugaya had always been the prim and proper type, but at his age, his hormones were probably raging, and although he was telling Ichigo to stop, he knew that secretly, he had no such desire. He wanted to see what this ritual called "sex" was all about, to see just how good Ichigo could make him feel.

This was wrong. This was so wrong.

And Ichigo had no idea what the hell was possessing him to do this, but some unknown force urged him forward as he removed his own clothes, his lips still glued to Hitsugaya's, their tongues battling messily as he tugged impatiently at Hitsugaya's undergarments.

As the last of their clothing was shed, Ichigo found himself, nude, and positioned over Hitsugaya Toshiro, naked as on the day he was born.

It was obvious Hitsugaya was a virgin. But the orange-haired teen had to admit he hadn't thought that Hitsugaya would be such a goddamn _hot_ virgin; his figure had always been buried under layers of robes. But now that those were out of the way, the slender hips, shapely legs, and slim waist were all his for the taking.

"My god, Toshiro," he smirked, licking his lips in anticipation, "You're gorgeous."

Hitsugaya's face reddened even more as he managed to stammer out, "It's _Hitsugaya-taichou_."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," the strawberry retorted as their lips met again. A few moments later, Ichigo pulled away, and Hitsugaya pouted in protest. But this didn't last long, as Ichigo's lips only traveled downwards, down the squirming prodigy's neck, chest and stomach, creating a slick trail of saliva before they stopped near his navel.

The white-haired boy seemed reluctant to open his legs, but Ichigo found that gently coaxing them apart wasn't as difficult as he imagined, his lips continuing to make their downward journey until finally, he planted a wet kiss at the young captain's entrance.

A short gasp found its way past Hitsugaya's lips, and he involuntarily tried to move away from the contact. Ichigo ran a hand through the snow-white locks in an attempt to calm him, before slowly pulling the boy up into a sitting position and into his lap.

If he was going to do this - this act of sheer selfishness - then he might as well let Hitsugaya feel good. And it would reduce his guilt, too.

Without a word, the substitute shinigami let his hands dip downwards, two fingers pressing against the petite prodigy's entrance. He could feel Hitsugaya trembling against him, and he wrapped his free arm around the small body, hoping to reassure him. There was no backing out now.

"You okay?"

Hitsugaya paused, unsure of what was supposed to happen next. Slowly, he nodded.

Ichigo took this as a cue to proceed as he curled the fingers upwards, pushing them inwards. Almost immediately, he noticed how tight the walls of muscle were, but that didn't stop him as he pulled them out, only to thrust them inwards again, forcing them deeper.

Hitsugaya's breath hitched, his breaths coming out in labored gasps as the skilled fingers twisted inside him. He grasped onto Ichigo's free hand tightly with his own, clinging it onto it for dear life, uttering a small cry as Ichigo increased his pace, seeing how deep in he could go.

Finally, a sudden, sharp gasp from Hitsugaya told Ichigo that he had found his sensitive sweet spot. Smirking lightly, he brushed his fingers lightly against it, earning a soft moan. Hitsugaya was biting down hard on his lip now, trying to stop himself from crying out. He was a lot more sensitive than Ichigo had expected, especially if such light contact had such an effect on him. He pressed his fingers harder against the spot, drawing a yelp of surprise and pleasure. He wasn't finished yet, though, as he pulled his fingers halfway out before driving them in again, into that special, sensitive spot again with considerable force.

"K-Kurosaki...!"

The boy's voice came out in a near scream as his grip on Ichigo's hand tightened, his body writhing in sheer, shameless pleasure that he had never felt before.

"Don't worry," Ichigo murmured as he pulled his fingers out and pushed Hitsugaya back down on his back, "No one's home. Make all the noise you want."

"Kurosaki...I..."

"Ready, Toshiro?"

"I...I suppose..."

The strawberry leaned downwards, placing another kiss on Hitsugaya's lips as finally, he positioned himself at Hitsugaya's entrance, and with a swift, merciless motion, thrust directly inwards. A loud scream was instantly torn from Hitsugaya's throat, of both pleasure and pain, but by the way there were tears already streaming down the flushed baby cheeks, Ichigo knew it was mostly from the pain of the sudden entrance.

The young captain clung to Ichigo's shoulders desperately as he thrust again, forcing himself into the incredibly - and somewhat frustratingly - tight passage, enjoying the strained gasps and moans that met his ears as he pulled out halfway, only to slam back into that deep heat, eliciting another loud cry. He wondered vaguely if he was a little too large down there to fit properly, but that didn't matter much to him as he pounded in again and again, the mattress creaking wildly and Hitsugaya's shrieks growing louder and louder as he slammed into the sensitive nerves, bringing them both close to the edge.

_"Kurosaki!"_

This final cry was enough to send Ichigo toppling over the edge with Hitsugaya, and he pulled out, bodily fluids splattering messily across both boys' bodies and the bedspread. Exhausted, Ichigo let himself flop down the bed next to Hitsugaya, whose breathing was still harsh.

He felt Hitsugaya shaking as he wrapped a hot, sticky arm around the small body, and he realized that the kid was crying. Crying would be an understatement - now he was sobbing uncontrolably, and the guilt settled back into Ichigo's mind as he realized the enormity of what he had just done.

He held Hitsugaya close to him, stroking his hair, listening to his strained sobs, stroking his hair softly in what he hoped was a comforting motion.

"Toshiro, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

He didn't know how long they lay there like that, with Hitsugaya crying, and Ichigo holding him tightly.

All he knew was that this was the last straw.

He was fed up with this ridiculous game. He was fed up with his own selfishness. He was fed up with himself.

But more than anything, Ichigo was fed up with the fact that despite everything, he was falling in love with Hitsugaya Toshiro, although this whole charade had been solely for the sake of the large amount of money being offered. It made him sick to his stomach. This wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to fall in love. He was supposed to do this without remorse, get his money, and get on with his life.

He had never expected it to come to this.


	6. The Morning After

Author's Note: Yay for quick updates! Be warned, though, as I mentioned earlier, this is probably a rare occasion and I won't be updating so quickly in the future as often as I did before. Oh yeah, and don't forget to keep looking for the last chapter of _Hanging on the Edge_...I'm almost done with it, I swear. Sorry to keep you waiting, but I'm putting most of my time and energy into school for nows, and it's super exhausting.

* * *

Ichigo opened his eyes groggily, blinking to clear his vision. He looked up at the ceiling, and lie there for a moment, staring as if there was something fascinating up there.

Then he noticed the feeling of a smaller, warm little body against his own.

And that was when he remembered what had happened the previous night.

Groaning at his own stupidity, Ichigo rubbed at his temples uncomfortably, looking down to see a very naked Hitsugaya nestled against his chest, fast asleep. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was calm and even, despite the fact that his childlike cheeks were still damp with tears. This proved to be extremely effective in increasing the already enormous guilt the strawberry knew was building up in his heart. Hitsugaya felt secure like this, that was apparent. And especially since they had done the unspeakable the previous night, Ichigo knew that the truth would be all the more cruel to him when he eventually found out about the real reason why he had done what he had.

With a sigh, he dabbed softly at Hitsugaya's cheeks with the back of his hand, intent on wiping away the leftover tears.

People always said "the morning after" was a total pain in the ass - literally, in some cases - but what did they know? No one Ichigo could think of was in a situation as complicated as he was at the moment. It wouldn't be so bad if what he and Hitsugaya had between each other was real, but the fact that it was painfully fake and profit-driven made it feel disgusting. The fact that he was undoubtedly falling for the kid wasn't quite enough to erase that feeling.

Ichigo felt dirty and low. He knew, that even though he had secured 200,000 yen for himself, his conscience would pay an even bigger price.

And so would the heart of the very boy that was in his arms.

Carefully, so he wouldn't wake up the sleeping captain, he disentangled himself, rising up from mattress, picking up the white haori off the floor and wrapping it around Hitsugaya's body to at least provide him with a little dignity before pulling the covers over the small form, hoping to make him comfortable. He winced, seeing the stains on the sheets and mattress, making a mental note to get those washed later to erase all evidence of the dirty act.

The substitute shinigami then made his way to the restroom, turning on the shower faucet and gathering his clothes from where they had been discarded on the floor the previous night.

Once the water was hot enough to his personal preference, he stepped inside. It was very true that he could easily wash off the physical evidence, but as the steaming water ran down his sore and tired body, he found himself dearly wishing he could wash away that gnawing guilt as well.

He stood there for a moment longer, enjoying the comforts of the hot water, before reluctantly turning it off and stepping out, dressing himself and throwing the towel around his shoulders as he re-entered the bedroom.

Hitsugaya was still asleep, and Ichigo stood there, watching him for what seemed like minutes.

"Toshiro, I'm sorry," he said aloud, as if the boy could actually hear him. As expected, he received no response as he crossed the room and gave the petite captain a gentle nudge.

"You alright?"

With a groan, Hitsugaya opened one emerald eye, peering at Ichigo. He blinked in confusion, before slowly sitting up.

He looked around for a moment as if to ask _"Where am I?"_ before he seemed to realize for the first time that he was not where he was supposed to be - and he was completely, utterly naked. With a horrified squeak, the boy clutched the haori up to his chest, trying frantically to cover as much of his body as he could, a scarlet blush rising to his face. Not like it mattered, Ichigo had already seen more than anyone had ever been able to.

It was silent for a moment before he looked timidly up at Ichigo.

Hitsugaya opened his mouth to speak, but little more than a small croak came from his lips. Ichigo didn't blame him; the kid had practically screamed himself hoarse the previous night.

Finally, he managed to force out a broken sentence.

"Last night...did we...?"

Swallowing, the strawberry slowly nodded.

Hitsugaya stared at him for a moment, his eyes wide. Ichigo was worried that he might start crying again, and he silently prayed that he would not.

"I...I shouldn't be here," Hitsugaya stammered as he frantically dropped to the floor, hurriedly trying to gather up his scattered garments, and by the looks of it, he was trying his best not to make eye contact with Ichigo. His words were coming out in a garbled, panicked string. He'd completely lost his cool as reality gave him a cold slap in the face. "Wh-What you and I did last night...meant nothing...it was just a whim, a stupid whim, and...and I'm so sorry..."

Ichigo was quiet, letting the frightened captain finish, turning away to let him dress himself with dignity.

Hitsugaya fumbled clumsily with his robes for a moment, watching Ichigo's back warily as he pulled on his kimono and hakama, securing the garments to the best of his ability with the white sash, struggling in his panic to put on the haori.

"If anyone finds out about this..."

"Relax. I won't tell anyone," Ichigo promised.

But the orange-haired teen knew very well this was a lie. He still had every intention to tell Matsumoto and Renji. He hadn't violated his own morals and Hitsugaya's sense of pride for nothing. If there was something good that would come out of this, it would be that 200,000 yen he had been promised.

"Swear to me," Hitsugaya said suddenly, his gaze now fixed on Ichigo.

"Huh?"

"Swear to me, Kurosaki. That you won't tell a soul."

"I...Yeah. I promise."

He mentally slapped himself for lying.

It was quiet for a moment before Hitsugaya slowly sat back down on Ichigo's bed, as if he had resigned himself. He looked into his lap for a moment, before without warning, he burst into tears again, his face buried in his delicate hands.

Now, Ichigo had to admit he wasn't sure what to do in a situation like this. The Hitsugaya he knew was a haughty, cold little brat who would not so readily show such an emotion in front of another person. Somewhat awkwardly, he sat next to him, putting his arms around him.

"It's alright," he insisted, in what he hoped was a comforting voice as he let the crying boy lean against his chest.

"Oh, Kurosaki...I made such a stupid mistake last night...I don't know what I was thinking..."

"Everything's going to be fine, Toshiro" he answered reassuringly, wincing as the sobs only grew louder.

"If...If anyone finds out...my reputation...I can't be seen as some common whore, Kurosaki, I would be...I would be such a joke to my subordinates...What would they think of me if they knew? What would Matsumoto think? And the sotaichou? He would...he would be furious..."

"No one's ever going to know," Ichigo insisted again, and to his surprise, Hitsugaya looked up at him, raising his tear-streaked face.

"Thank you, Kurosaki. I'm so glad I can _trust_ you."

Inwardly, the strawberry cringed, and he could feel his heart sinking like a stone. Were the gods doing this to him on purpose or what? He managed to plaster on a fake smile as he wiped the tears off of the boy's face with his sleeve.

"Yeah," he answered shakily, "...I'm glad, too."

He couldn't do this anymore.

This had to stop.

And it was going to stop _soon_.


	7. The Truth Hurts

Author's Note: Whoo, more quick updating! I guess I'm trying to do a lot of updates now to make up for the inevitable lack of it in the near future, since I don't have as much to do today...Well now, I'm glad the lemon from the previous chapters didn't destroy your brain cells - at least I hope it didn't - and again, I'm really sorry for that. Anyway, here's the next chapter for you, hopefully, it'll be a little better.

* * *

"I'm done."

"Huh?"

"I said, I'm done. I'm finished."

After Ichigo had let the fact that he had and Hitsugaya had sex - and pretty good sex, at that - set in for the boy, he had escorted him back to Soul Society. While he was there, he had decided he had to end this charade - and so here he was, sitting in the tenth division office with Matsumoto and Renji while Hitsugaya was away at a captain's meeting, letting them know exactly what his intentions now were.

"What do you mean?" Matsumoto inquired, looking disappointed as she pouted at Ichigo.

"Yeah, what happened?" Renji added, "It was all going so well, too..."

"Not really," Ichigo muttered, deciding it'd be best to leave out the details about his own feelings regarding Hitsugaya as he held out a hand demandingly. "I did what you asked me to. I asked him out, spent some time with him, told him I liked him, and screwed him. Now where's my money?"

"Come on, Ichigo-kun," Matsumoto whined.

"Yeah, don't be such a poor sport!"

"Forget it, you guys," Ichigo snarled, his hand still outstretched and waiting. "I'm done playing your stupid game. I'm not going through with this anymore. I kept my promise, and so should you guys. Hand the 200,000 yen over, _now_. I have things to do."

Reluctantly, the two fukutaichou's fished in their robes for the promised sum. As they placed the money in the strawberry's waiting hands, they both exchanged confused looks. The teen had been so eager to get that money...and he could have gotten more. So what had happened?

"Was he too much for you to handle?"

"Not really."

"Bad sex?"

"Nah, it was great."

"Not enough money?"

"It's fine."

"So what happened?"

Ichigo paused, biting his lip. He didn't feel like telling Matsumoto or Renji about his plight at the moment. If he told them he was in love with the kid, then he was afraid that they'd feel like they'd paid him for no reason, since if he truly was in love, he wouldn't need the money bribe to want to be with him.

"I...I just don't think it's fair," he finally answered, "It's not fair for Toshiro."

There was a long pause.

"And yet you're still taking the money?" Matsumoto finally scoffed, as she flipped her strawberry-blonde hair over her shoulder. "Stop trying to be a saint, you're not fooling anyone."

"Look, Ichigo," Renji cut in, "We're doing this for everyone's interests, okay? You get your money, Matsumoto-san will get some more time to herself, I'll feel like I did a good deed...and Hitsugaya-taichou can feel like someone can actually stand him."

Ichigo felt his temper flare at these words.

"What do you mean!?" he demanded, standing up, "What do you mean, 'like someone can actually stand him'? Who do you think he is!?"

"Get a hold of yourself and give it a rest, strawberry!" Renji retorted, "We didn't pay you to pretend you liked Hitsugaya-taichou for a couple days, screw him, and chicken out right afterwards! So don't give me any of your attitude, you hear me!?"

In the midst of their arguing, no one noticed the office door opening.

Ichigo turned, seeing none other than the captain of the tenth division, Hitsugaya Toshiro, standing in the now open door-frame. And, much to Ichigo's utter dismay, the horrified, wide-eyed expression on the boy's face made it painfully clear that he had heard every last word.

"T...Toshiro..."

Hitsugaya's eyes were fixed solely on Ichigo before he managed to choke out, "Kurosaki...you...You _lied_ to me? You were _paid_ to...to pretend you..."

"No, no, it's not like that!" Ichigo spluttered frantically, "I was only-"

"You didn't have to pretend," Hitsugaya cut him off, his voice rising, "If I really mean that little to you, then you should have told me! My god, I'm so stupid...it's the same for everyone else, why would it be different for you!? Why did I believe you!? And last night, everything...you did that for _money_?"

"Toshiro, please..."

"It's _Hitsugaya-taichou, _you heartless bastard," Hitsugaya retorted fiercely, his voice trembling dangerously as without another word, he turned tail and fled.

"Toshiro, wait!" Grabbing the 200,000 yen's worth of money and shoving it hurriedly into his robes, he gave both Renji and Matsumoto each a furious glare_. _"Are the two of you happy _now_!?" he snapped, although he knew it wasn't entirely their fault it had come to this. Not bothering to wait for a reply - although the question had been quite rhetorical - he dashed out the office door and down the hallway in frantic pursuit of Hitsugaya.

To his dismay, Hitsugaya had noticed him chasing after him, and hadn't hesitated in using shunpo to speed up.

But Ichigo wasn't going to let him get away.

He, too, picked up the pace, glad he had been training extensively in the past few months; his shunpo speed had increased quite a bit, and he was catching up to the prodigy, fast. He was getting closer, closer, closer still...Desperately, he reached out, catching the boy by the wrist, pulling him back and shoving him roughly against the wall, holding onto his wrists tightly to dash any hopes of another escape.

"Release me at _once_, Kurosaki!" Hitsugaya yelped angrily, struggling wildly. "Get your filthy hands _off _of me!"

Ichigo was shocked to see tears streaming down the livid cheeks.

"Just listen to me, Toshiro! Please! I can explain myself!"

"I don't need you to explain!" the furious captain shouted, thrashing and squirming fiercely, trying to break free from the strawberry's iron grip. "I heard enough already from your conversation with Matsumoto and Abarai, I know exactly what was going on!"

"I was wrong! I know I was wrong!"

"So why didn't you say that _before_ I let you fuck me!?"

Ichigo's heart sank. The petite captain of the tenth division had a short temper, but he never used such harsh language. He knew the kid felt absolutely betrayed, crushed, heartbroken, and violated. In other words, he was absolutely _pissed_, and it was all because of him.

"I didn't want to make things any more complicated than they had to be!" the orange-haired teen choked out, "I didn't want to-"

"You _used _me!" Hitsugaya screamed, his voice hoarse and strangled with sobs now, "And to think, Kurosaki, I _trusted_ you! I thought...I thought you really..."

"I do! I really _do _like you!" Ichigo shouted desperately, "Honestly! Toshiro, please, you have to believe me! Don't be like this, I'm begging you!"

"All this time, you've done nothing but lie to me, I don't see how you could possibly expect me to believe you now, of all times," the prodigy hissed, "It's just like Abarai said, no one can stand me, certainly not you! It's not _me_ you like, it's your _money_!"

"Please, just give me a chance!" Ichigo was practically begging now. "Let me prove it to you! I-I'll do anything, I'll do anything you want me to..."

"Let _go _of me!" With an angry snarl, Hitsugaya finally managed to wrench free from Ichigo's grip, pushing the older teen away from him. "I don't want to see you, ever again, Kurosaki. I hope you put that money you got to good use. Now, goodbye."

"Toshiro, I love-"

"I said, _goodbye_."

Without another word, the fuming captain disappeared, leaving a dejected Ichigo with his sentence unfinished.


End file.
